The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1887-03-30
THE NEW SOUTH AND THE OLD
A Times Correspondents Visit from
Birmingham to st. Augustine.
ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA,
March II, 1887.

To understand the seeming para
dox Of SURPRISING enterprise in the
South, famed for the langurous effect
of ITS climate, 4 visit Just at this time
suffices for a close observer. Bir-
mingham, Chattanooga and Atlanta,
the cities now growing most rapidly,
have only five months of really hot
weather-never hotter than Mime
apoliS IN midsummer and while the
temperature in winter, some times
reaches zero, there is but little time
when outdoor work may not be per.
formed. For the past week I have
found my overcoat necessity. Cul
tivated Incidence is a more correct
term for a frequent ailment here than
the common one of climatic enerva-
ton.
/ left New Orleans on Monday,
one week ago, after a most pleasant
visit Of three weeks, stopping first at
Birmingham, Ala. This city is 40
miles southeast of Chattanooga,
Tenn, situated on low ground, sur
rounded by high hills, called noun
tains, and not near to any stream.
The surrounding country is sparsely
settled and unproductlve. The re-
sources of the town are iron and
coal. Upon this basis there has
been buik up in fifteen years city
OF nearly 10000 inhabitants, and
streets and lots are LAID out far
enough to accommodate more than
one million people. Much exas-
geration has been .,nduIged concern
ing the price of property. Fact is,
the highest bona fde sale yet made
was for ST. 900 per front foot, and
E the highest price now asSed is only
$1,000 Residence property within
one mile of the court house may be
bought for rs low as five dollars pei
front foot and as high as $500, Of
from $500 to $40, 1000 per lot. The
town is too young to be beautiful; j
is just the opposite, but has wide
: streets, we'll LAID out, though We
n unpaved. The great blast furnaces
n are most interesting. l saw ON
s furnace cast twenty tons of moltel
s. iron into the pig moulds, and 1t doe
this six times per day. Coke an
lime rock are fed with the ore int
the furnaces, which have rushin
u currents of hot air forced throug
them. also went through the roll
ag ing mills, where the pig iron is heat
r. ed white in pudding furnaces an
then rolled into sheet iron, bars
er rods, etc. Birmingham will contlr
- ue to grow, but not tor many yeal
can property be worth what is no.
asked for it. Working men ss
that wages are low and living high
Next IN importance to the iron ir
" dustry is the real estate business
. Birmingham has few show windows
the majority of fronts are fenced
- as real estate Offices.
Chattanooga, too, has about 80
Y. 600 people, but IS not growing
fast A. its rival. Still 1t is makil
'e' rapid strides forward. Real ests
is high but within the bounds of re
son. The adjacent country is pc
. haps better than in the case of Bl
Rp. m,neham, but not excellent. He,
- too, are great iron industries; bes,d
~ there are manufactures of ma
kinds common to great cities. a
), the especial advantage OF river fac
all. tiles, the Tennessee beng navigat
ele- here and much further up. Ma
@ ~ important railroads centers he
and others are being built OF
two cities Chattanooga will sur
make the larger. It's future is m
Is bright. Here vent through the st
nail mills, noting the process of G
verting pig iron into steel bv 81
orth mittlng the molten iron to a blast
furious that It leaves the CONVEX
.,d in liquid state, running like wal